Sonny Masero

Our Head of Rural Investment, Roland Bull has contributed to the Green Finance Institute's Biodiversity Net Gain’s Roadmap for Action report. Over 100 cross-sector experts have been brought together to provide insight and to address challenges in the BNG market since its mandatory launch. The Roadmap identifies and assesses 40 challenges across four pillars of #BNG policy design, which shape recommendations for both government action and market-led solutions to unlock BNG's full potential. Read the full report to learn more about the future of Biodiversity Net Gain in the UK or contact our specialist Bidwells Team Helen Newman Roland Bull Lisa Bulmer MCIEEM to see how we can help support your BNG and Sustainable Investment requirements. #sustainablefinance #ruralinvestment #sustainability #bng #naturalcapital #energy #climate

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Nature markets across the UK continue to develop. Biodiversity Net Gain became mandatory for larger sites in February and has now been extended to smaller sites. In March the British Standards Institute published its consultation paper on the overarching principles and framework for nature markets, known as BSI Flex 701. Specific standards for biodiversity and natural carbon markets are expected later this year. An illustration of the potential value of nature markets can be found in Scotland’s recent natural capital market framework engagement paper. This predicts that using private finance to help meet Scotland’s climate and nature restoration goals will create an additional 343,000 direct and indirect jobs, adding £17 billion to the Scottish economy in largely rural areas. Read more:

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💰🌳 Thoughts on an English 'National Wealth Service' Natural England have published a report on the state of the nation's #NaturalCapital - something to add to your recommended reading list. My thoughts: ⚠️ All of our ecosystem #assets are at medium or high-risk. Shock. ⚖️ Investment in #NatureRestoration is only one half of the battle - Where are the buyers? How are we getting projects (and investors!) ready? What *exactly* are they investing in? How is the inventory being managed? 🌿 Great to see a push to implement Sir Partha Dasgupta's approach to going #BeyondGDP 🌊 Water is highlighted as a key priority, so let's build a market for #NFM and #WaterQuality 🌍 What about #NaturePositive to support #NetZero? 🔗 Key to Priority Action 1 (Achieving large-scale targeted restoration of ecosystems) is aggregating projects; creating communities of practice; standardising metrics 🛑 Key to Priority Action 2 (Reducing the drivers of change causing nature loss) is redirecting harmful subsidies & creating incentives for behaviour change 🌟 Key to Priority Action 3 (Making natural capital central to decision-making) is: standardising #valuation methodologies; mandating corporate reporting frameworks & building market #infrastructure that facilitates flow of capital 🍻 I could keep going. Might need a few of these though ⬅️ https://lnkd.in/eqxY4y9Q #Ecosystems #NatureFinance #EcosystemServices Tony Juniper CBE #StateofNaturalCapitalReport #NationalWealthService #LINC #NaturalAssets

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Wildlife in the UK has plummeted by 19% since 1970 and nature degradation could cut the country’s GDP by as much as 12% in coming years — more than double the economic fallout of the 2008 financial crisis. The financial and ecological crises are deeply intertwined, making the next few years critical for the economy and our ecosystems.   As #COP16 draws to a close, the UK must recognize the crucial role of disclosure data in developing its national biodiversity strategy and action plans, tracking progress, and implementing critical 2030 targets, including Target 15 of the Global Biodiversity Framework.    In a recent opinion article for Sustainable Views, CDP’s CEO Sherry Madera says: "Nature-related data must be at the core of environmental strategies across all sectors – businesses, financial institutions and governments — to mitigate risks and ensure financial resilience. And that is because biodiversity is not only an environmental issue — it is an economic one."   Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/ekmMv2Qd

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Really? https://lnkd.in/evXmtq2Y First, I get the need to properly test whether Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) can work commercially at scale. Even if we max out – as we must – on renewables, smart storage, energy efficiency, retrofits, electrifying heat, smart demand management, natural climate solutions and behaviour change, effective CCS on top will improve the odds of avoiding catastrophic global heating as we transition away from fossil fuels. And we desperately need to improve those odds. But think of what else £22 billion could buy. For example, imagine how many homes could be made energy efficient, smart and zero carbon for that money, helping to reduce fuel poverty and reduce the cost of living. And if it’s an industrial case you’re looking for, think of how many jobs that would create in the construction and building sectors, how much it would build the supply chain in training and small scale manufacturing, and how much it would stimulate innovation spanning digital/AI, greentech, fintech, legal services and so on. Plus, a lot of that innovation could drive new enterprises in services and manufacturing that we could export. There’s also an issue of principle. Corporations extracting fossil fuels or burning them should clean up their act at their own expense. They should pay for CCS, and the state should oblige them to do so instead of spending taxes that could be better spent elsewhere. That said, £22 billion over 25 years is not a die-on-a-hill issue for me (though how much will be front loaded during this parliament is germane). And if sensible sums of public money needs to be spent on R&D in our universities, then fine. But let the fossil fuel industry pick up the risk and the tab for commercialising CCS.

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Seventy-three percent of UK-based asset owners would invest in natural capital in order to support climate adaptation, a research report commissioned by British asset manager Gresham House showed. Read our story by Danielle Rossingh here: #impactinvesting #naturalcapital #biodiversity #climateadaptation https://lnkd.in/ev9itKif

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It is no longer good enough to simply tell a good story. When it comes to social value, you are now expected to be able to demonstrate it. That’s why Biodiversity UK has invested heavily in a reporting platform that can utilise over 116 metrics to deliver a genuine ROI on our supporter's social value spend. We're proud of our ability to use data, reports and audits when helping our supporters prove their commitment and delivery of genuine social value. Proud to prove the success of their environmental activities and proud to prove their engagement with communities, community groups, schools and teaching staff. We believe these actions are critical in ensuring that the positive work being undertaken stands scrutiny, and so should you. #SocialValue #BiodiversityData #SocialValueEvidence

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I always think it suspect when public data that helps with better and more efficient planning of change is withheld. I always think who would benefit from no change and how they might try and influence.

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So much at stake. The government has put the attraction of private capital at the heart of its economic growth agenda. Ofwat has today announced its final decisions on how much water companies can invest, and earn, over the next five years. But what will investors who own the companies make of Ofwat's decisions, and what impact will that have on the UK's standing?

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We are turning up the dial on quality and integrity in the VCM. The UK Government has set out its principles for Voluntary Carbon and Nature Market Integrity (#VCNMI) at #COP29. This is a signal of their intent to help raise the integrity of the market, ensuring it can be used to support domestic and global climate and nature goals.  This comes just hours after The Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM) has approved three REDD methodologies to achieve the #CCP stamp of integrity and quality... another sign of the carbon markets moving forward. Climate Impact Partners are looking forward to the public consultation in early 2025, which will help to shape a route forward for Government and how they can help raise integrity and ensure the #VCNM can continue to deliver immediate impact for climate, communities, and nature.    For now, their six key principles are a good starting block to build from and build off of a lot of the great work already at work in the market: 1️⃣ Use credits alongside ambitious action within value chains 2️⃣ Use high integrity credits (such as aligned with #CCPs) 3️⃣ Measure and disclose the planned use of credits as part of sustainability reporting 4️⃣ Plan ahead 5️⃣ Make accurate green claims using appropriate terminology (such as VCMI) 6️⃣ Co-operate with others to support the growth of high integrity markets If you are interested in learning more, check out the following link: https://lnkd.in/eQcM2qKM #CarbonMarkets #ClimateActionNow

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“To fully realise the potential of natural capital, government mandates, rather than voluntary efforts, are essential” 💬🦋🌳 Rebecca Craddock-Taylor, Director, Sustainable Investment, writes on the disconnect between nature’s true value and the economic value currently placed on it for an article in IPE Real Assets. Only a small fraction of markets are currently designed to achieve nature positive outcomes, despite investors becoming increasingly aware of the value of nature, and the possible ecological and financial risk posed by not allocating to it. The implementation of mandatory frameworks and regulations in the UK, such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and the introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) through the Environment Act, are notable examples of regulation that puts nature’s prosperity at its core. However, Rebecca argues that more progress is needed, commenting: “We stand at a crucial juncture where decisive action is needed to protect the health of the planet and the wellbeing of future generations. https://lnkd.in/g7BzKAVE (article behind paywall) #biodiversity #naturalcapital #infrastructure

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In advance of #COP16, Aldersgate Group members Lloyds Banking Group and RSPB published a report on nature-based solutions (NbS). This paper highlights eight ongoing NbS initiatives for water management across the UK, demonstrating how the integration of nature into land management and urban infrastructure can enhance biodiversity and support broader climate change adaptation efforts. The report also outlines key steps needed to scale up the implementation of NbS in agricultural and urban settings. These steps include providing financial incentives for investment, introducing stronger regulations to promote NbS adoption in both new and existing developments, and enhancing the skills, knowledge, and awareness of property owners and developers. You can access the full report here: https://lnkd.in/ehjsn8sK

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The full and final report published by the London Climate Resilience Review continues to call for urgent action to prepare the capital, and cities across the UK, for more frequent and intense climate impacts 👇 https://mottm.ac/46aOVCP We were pleased to contribute to the report, which provides an assessment of London's climate resilience and makes 50 recommendations calling for strategic, delivery, capacity building or investment actions to guide the preparations that need to be undertaken. Professor Denise Bower OBE, our group external engagement director, says "The message is clear: if we want to build resilience and allow all communities to flourish then urgent action is needed. This requires a multi-layered approach with the right leadership and governance at the national and regional levels, collaboration between the public and private sectors to deliver the investment required, embedding risk and resilience into strategic decision-making on our infrastructure and buildings, and supporting Londoners in knowing what to expect and what to do." Follow the link above to read to full report and the recommended actions. #ClimateResilience #Sustainability

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💚⚡An inspiring (and intense) couple of days at the Innovation Zero conference hearing from and meeting with leading experts involved in the transition to #NetZero 🌟 AND 🌟 #NaturePositive. Top takehomes and trends: 🥇 The UK has a huge opportunity to be a global leader in #NatureFinance and transitioning to #NetZero and #NaturePositive economy ⚖ #RightsOfNature will be pivotal in navigating the moral dilemma of putting a financial value on nature 🗺 Government must produce a #NaturePositive strategy to integrate with #NetZero 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 #Standardisation is key to ensuring that collaboration supersedes competition in the transition to #NetZero and #NaturePositive 🏛 Investor appetite for funding #NatureRestoration and #NatureBasedSolutions is massive ✅ Regulation and corporate reporting frameworks will drive the growth of #CarbonMarkets and #NatureMarkets 🔬 #Data gaps are holding back investment - we need more low-cost high-quality data collection methods 🌳 Pension funds will increasingly move towards #NaturalCapital over #FossilFuels 🐝 Great Yellow are brilliantly placed as an #FCARegulated organisation to help corporates & investors looking to fund nature-based solutions projects and/or #offset their impacts, mitigate risks and harness opportunities in this space - get in touch. Grant Wilson Earth Law Center Cain Blythe CreditNature George Sandilands Sage Pippa Howard NatureMetrics Jo Anderson Level Karen Ellis WWF Hugo Tagholm Oceana Charles Watson River Action UK Antonia Nicholls Andy Creak Kana Earth Vaughan Tyrell HSBC Heather Buchanan Bankers for Net Zero (B4NZ) Charlie Roper Ord Treeconomy Rich Stockdale PhD Oxygen Conservation #TNFD #CSRD

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🌍Nature Finance Conference 2024 🌍 Last week we attended Nature Finance UK 2024 hosted by Ecosystems Knowledge Network at IET London. The conference brought together leaders in environmental finance, industry, and policy to explore innovative pathways for natural capital investment, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity protection. Key themes included: 🌿Scotland’s Natural Capital Initiatives: Scotland outlined ambitious goals, from peatland restoration to a new ecosystem restoration code. 🌿Business and Nature: Insights from Sir Ian Cheshire highlighted the need for long-term, high-integrity solutions, while industry leaders showcased successful nature-based initiatives in water stewardship, peatland restoration, and supply chain transparency. 🌿Financial Mechanisms for Conservation: A variety of speakers emphasised the role of corporate and private investors in financing sustainable projects, leveraging nature-based solutions, and developing standards for biodiversity markets. 🌿Pioneering Standards and Tools: The conference highlighted the importance of high-integrity standards in nature markets, with organisations like BSI introducing frameworks to enhance credibility, attract investment, and support ecosystem resilience. As we move forward, collaboration, innovation, and integrity are key to advancing nature-positive finance. With an ever-growing market, get in touch with us if you'd like to learn more about nature finance mechanisms.

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As the momentum to address nature loss accelerates, how should investors begin to assess their portfolio companies' approaches to biodiversity? Join Pensions for Purpose and Joanne Lee, of First Sentier Investors, for an online event to learn about engagement approaches to evaluate water and deforestation risk, at 09:30 BST on 8 May. #Deforestation #Biodiversity #PensionsforPurpose https://ow.ly/bbPT50RiN6I

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